“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” – Luke 24:26
He is Risen! Our joyful refrain this Eastertide. This proclamation is our confession of who Jesus is and what he has done. Jesus is the risen one. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is our savior. As I am sure you have heard me say in several sermons, the resurrection proves Jesus has been telling the truth his entire ministry. Every claim, every miracle, every prophecy rests on the cornerstone of our risen Lord.
The cornerstone of truth itself. There is a reason that the truth we confess has been called the “Greatest Story Ever Told.” Every hero’s journey that came before and every hero’s journey to come can only imitate the story of Jesus. Whether that story be grounded in fact or fiction, fantastical or grim, the story of Jesus will always prevail as the standard. For Jesus is the hero of heroes. Jesus is the righteous one who faced down the most unimaginable odds endured the greatest suffering to win the ultimate victory. And He did it all for us. A selfless journey to save the people He loved rescuing them from evil itself so that they too would live with Him forever in paradise. You just can’t write it any better.
However, let me remind you that this is not just a story for us. This is the cornerstone of truth. Jesus is not a fictional hero but a real one. His legacy isn’t just codified in stone or song, brush or book but etched into our very hearts and souls. Our hero didn’t stay dead. Our hero rose to life eternal and took His place in glory at the right hand of the Father. Our hero still comes to us in Word and Sacrament even to this day. Jesus isn’t a dead relic to remember but a living King to exalt. And perhaps, brothers and sisters in Christ, one of greatest things we can hear is that this Hero of Heroes, this King of Kings, knows your name and loves you. Jesus made that hero’s journey for you.
Pastor Tommy